Five Months and Three Days
by andreakayy
Summary: After five months and three days, Cuddy learns what fiction House had hallucinated. She goes to visit him in rehab. Post Season 5 Finale. HUDDY. R
1. Chapter 1

**My first House fic. It's HUDDY of course. Most likely dedicated to all my HuddyBuddies out there. Let's see... all my other fic readers will be angry that I haven't updated the other stories, but with House making me CRY MY EYES OUT.... I felt it was necessary. So, this takes place after the Season 5 season finale. Short 1st chapter, the rest will be much longer.  
Please R&R**

Spoilers: Everything up to the end of the Season 5 finale.

Five Months and Three Days

Ch.1

Five months and three days. She sat in her big official swivel chair in front of the desk he had placed there. Her medium length dark chocolate like curls were being curled around her index finger one by one. It was seven in the evening, and she knew that she had to be getting home soon. Her baby sitter was off the clock at seven thirty, and she didn't want her to have to stay later with Rachel again. It was early October, and it was already nearing complete darkness outside. Even though she knew her baby sitter would like to get back to her own home, Lisa Cuddy couldn't bring herself to get up. Something was bothering. He was bothering her. It was the same thought that had bothered her for the past five months, the five months he was gone at that facility near Philadelphia.

What exactly had he imagined?

As weird as it was, she hadn't asked Wilson. She would've but.... part of her didn't want to know. She didn't want the possibility of it being something that could hurt her... once again.

_'I told you I need you, and you helped me...'_ His words echoed, flowed even, through her memory like soft waves above sand, but for some reason ended up crashing violently into rocks.

She was going to ask.

Cuddy pulled her long black wool pea coat over her and pulled her hair out, letting it spill onto her shoulders. She grabbed the two files she needed, stuffed them into her briefcase, clicked off her desk light, and made her way out of her office.

The hallways were busy, a world away from her peaceful office, but the hurriedness could not even compare to her clutter brain at the moment. Her black high heels she wore to compliment her simple dark grey pencil skirt clicked against the hard ground as she made her way to the hospitals finest oncologist's office, Dr. James Wilson.

She had only to knock on the door once before he replied.

"Come in," He said, and she did.

When he saw her he sighed, and leaned back into his leather chair as if he was expecting her. Was he expecting her question too?

"I think you know why I am here." She said with a sigh of her own and sat at one of the two chairs that were before his desk.

"You want to know what House had hallucinated." She didn't speak; she only stared at him, her eyes wavering, waiting for him to continue. Only, he was waiting for her reply.

"I... I thought I was doing a good job with forcing him from my mind." She scoffed, turning the other cheek. She looked at him again more firmly. "But that same thought keeps coming up in my mind.... along with... how he's doing." He was expecting all of this. Sometimes, she thought Wilson would make and excellent couples counselor.

"He's doing well. I just got off the phone with him about an hour ago." She cocked an eyebrow, trying to call his bluff.

"They allow phone calls there?"

"Only after four months, and it's been five. But, I'm sure you already knew of that."

"Wilson..."

"He didn't want me to tell you."

"I need to know," She said shaking her head.

"I've seen you, walking past his office, glimpsing in... lingering for a while before walking past it yet again. You can't tell me you don't love him." She swallowed, and looked down at her hands in her lap. "He hallucinated that... that you helped him detox off of vicodin... that you audited his endocrinology class—"

"He what? –How, how.... how did he know I audited that?"

"I don't think he did. He said you told him. He imagined that you helped him and that after... you both admitted your feeling and you both slept together. He said he found your lipstick on his bathroom sink –and that's why he carried it around with him everywhere. Only, it was his pills." Her eyes were verging on tears, but she wasn't about to let that happen.

"What else?"

"He told me... He told me that he was serious about having a relationship with you –that he honestly really wanted it and didn't want to screw it up. That's the real reason he was trying to piss you off. And I... I said it was a good idea. I told him that either you saw the night before as a mistake or you were scared."

All the thoughts of Wilson becoming a couple's counselor just flew out the window with those last two lines.

"You did what?!"

"I thought you slept with him!"

She sucked in her lower lip and nodded slowly as she spoke her next words. "So, you're the reason all of my staff thinks I slept with House." But she wasn't angry. Her mind was fixated on the fact that House had told Wilson he really wanted a relationship.

"I'm sorry."

"You know that a relationship would be impossible, right?" Wilson remained silent. "It's seven twelve. My sitter is off the clock at seven thirty. I'll see you tomorrow." She stood up and spun around on her heel, ready to walk out the door. Just as she had it open, Wilson's voice stopped her.

"He's allowed visitors now... since he's almost done. My friend from undergrad that is one of the doctor's... he said it'll actually be good for him. I didn't go up yet..." Cuddy nodded and tried to leave again before Wilson stopped her yet again. "You know," She popped her head back in and he lowered his voice to his normal tone. "He was really in love with you. It was a silent drive to the facility but –I think he was hurt that it was all in his mind."

"He did it to himself." And with those last words she walked out.

_'He was really in love with you.'_ She heard his words over and over again in her mind as she made her way out of the hospital. _'He was hurt that it was all in his mind_.' She was going to see him. Tomorrow.

**More soon. Please review if you want more. Sorry for the possible suckage, first House fic.  
I NEEEEED Season 6.**

-AK.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you a ton for the encouragement to write more! I was about to give up, then I thought of you guys, so thank you soooo much!  
This chapter is dedicated to all of you!**

It took a while... I know, sorry. I was just trying to find my footing on this whole new topic of fanfiction, House MD.  
It's always incredibly hard emerging into a new TVshow fanfiction world. Actually, I've been wondering if I should write Huddy for about a year now.  
But without further delay, here's chapter 2. Please R&R.

Spoilers: Everything up to the end of the Season 5 finale.

Five Months and Three Days

Ch.2

It was eight, and Cuddy sat in her living room. Her lap top was in her lap while Rachel played on the floor below her. She felt herself tear her stare away from the computer just to let her eyes wander to the little girl. She had a small bit of light brown hair. It was maybe about an inch long. She was dressed in her pink Minnie Mouse onesie, ready for bed. Her Dr. Brown's baby bottle sat down beside her, holding seven ounces of milk. She was so big already. Ten months.

She brought her eyes to her computer monitor again, and he fingers began typing. She went onto Google and searched House's current residence. Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital. The first link that came up was for a hospital in Eastern Pennsylvania, somewhere near Philadelphia. She clicked. The title of the hospital alone frightened her –the word 'Psychiatric.' However, she reassured herself that the facility was also a rehabilitation center, not just a psychiatric hospital.

Within the next ten minutes she had the directions from her home to the hospital printing out on her printer. She still had to make the decision if she was going. If she was, how long would she stay? A tear trickled down her cheek as Rachel wobbled on over to her. She could take a few steps, but only if there was a couch or table, something to hold on to, very near to her.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Cuddy said, picking her little girl up into her arms and placing her in her lap. She sighed as she thought over her choices in her mind, pressing her nose to Rachel's strawberry scented soft baby hair. "Would you like to spend the weekend with Grandma, Rachel?" Rachel only cooed, smiled, and fisted a lock of her mother's hair.

But the only problem was Cuddy didn't know how long she would be staying. What if... what if it all went well and she wanted to stay longer? Then again there was the other scenario, the one she rather not think of, but had to nonetheless. What if she didn't want to stay longer than an hour? She hated being hurt by him. She had to draw the line somewhere and that was exactly what she tried doing a little over five months ago.

She lay Rachel down on the couch on top of a feathered pillow, giving her bottle to her. She fell asleep in a matter of minutes, and Cuddy grabbed her house phone, dialing her mother's number.

Great. Her mother was coming over tomorrow morning around eight. She had it all planned out. She would leave around eight fifteen to grab breakfast, even if it meant running into Panera to get a bagel. Then, she would head over to the hospital and give her keys to Cameron, her replacement while she was away, and she had to pick up some paper work she would have to do. Around nine thirty she would drive to her hotel. From New Jersey it was approximately and hour and half ride. She would check in, and then go see him –if she could ready herself emotionally. Although she had several uncertainties about her trip and seeing House, one thing was for certain. She was in love with him for far too long.

---  
The next morning, she walked into the hospital casually. She still felt a little awkward around the nurses who were most likely talking behind her back about her relationship with House. They all knew it was going somewhere, but when House had shouted that they had slept together, it confirmed their suspicions. Only it was false, created by an elaborate hallucination.

She got the usual hellos from the staff as she made her way to the Emergency room to find Cameron. She talked to her the night before, and was glad she was willing to take her place for the weekend, since she had already done it before and since she needed no explanation. Cameron followed her to her office.

Once inside, Cuddy rummaged through the stack of files she had left on her desk the night before, picking the four she needed. She turned around, and Cameron was standing by the window looking out the blinds, her wedding ring glistening in the sunlight of the new day. She met her gaze.

"You miss him." Cameron whispered in a low voice.

"I don't miss House." She lied, tearing her eyes from Cameron, but she still felt Cameron's gaze hot on her back when she turned.

"You should.... go visit him. Wilson said-"

"I know what Wilson said. He's allowed visitors now."

"So go!" Cuddy was silent long enough for everything to suddenly click in Cameron's mind. "Oh." Cuddy understood what she was oh-ing about.

"Yeah. Cameron, you can't tell anyone."

"I won't."

"I'm not even sure why I am going."

"Because you love him."  
Cuddy's hand flew to the side of her head where she began to scratch her head. She looked down at her side. "I really wish people would stop saying that." Silence. "Well," Cuddy began taking her spare office key off of her key ring. "Here's the key." After she handed it to Cuddy, her fingers began to trace another key, a gold key with a four letter name on it. An idea emerged itself in her mind.

She was emotionally intact, but she knew her emotions were subject to wavering. It was sunny out, a beautiful day, odd for that time of the year. It was 71 degrees, but the next few days were going to be rainy and miserable. She wore a periwinkle thin sweater with a plunging neckline; dark wash boot cut jeans, and a pair of black heels. She went to the side of her car and pulled out the surprise she had for House. It was large, and she had a little bit of trouble carrying it. Luckily, as she neared the end of the parking lot, a security guard picked up the heavy object she was carrying and took it in for her. She followed behind him and they went into front foyer where her belongings were searched. They then walked to where there was a large circular desk with three nurses sitting at it on their computers and another nurse flipping through files.

"May, I help you?" A young woman in her twenties in purple scrubs asked from behind the desk.

"Yes, I'm Lisa Cuddy –" She was cut off.

"Princeton Plainsboro Dean of Medicine, right?"

"That's exactly right."

"What can I do for you Dr. Cuddy?"

"Well, I'm here to see-" Then it hit her. House was admitted under a pseudonym. She didn't know what he was being called. "I'm here to see... a man. He's going through rehab... blue eyes, this tall," She raised her hand to about the height where House stood, "Uses a cane.... came in five months ago." The nurse appeared to be racking her brain for who this patient might be.

"I'm sorry... I could look it up on the computer. Do you know the day he was admitted?" Now it was Cuddy's turn to rack her brain.

"May... 12 of this year." The nurse went one of the black dell computers and typed the date into the records files on the computer.

"Well, we had two patients admitted that day, a Frank DeBoer and a Chris... Taub."

Cuddy arched an eyebrow, "Chris Taub?"

"That's what it says."

"Then that's him... apparently."

"Alright, you're going to want to go down that hallway," She was pointing the way for her. "Then, turn right. There's going to be elevators on your left. Go up the elevator to the rehab ward, 2nd floor, and turn right down the hallway. He's in room.... 242."

"Alright, thank you."

The security guard, whose name she learned is Bill, helped her carry her surprise for House. When she turned down the last hallway, she searched left and right for room 242. When she finally found room 242, she nervously fixed her hair and smoothed her shirt. With her hand on the knob, she peaked through the small window at the top of the door. He was there, laying on his bed in a pair of jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt. He was throwing a small knit hacky sack up into the air carelessly and catching it as gravity worked on it, bringing it back down. She swallowed hard and pushed the door open.

"Do you not know how to knock?" House said loudly, as he stared up at the ceiling. He heard the heels click in. He looked up. He sat up. She smiled for a half of a second and allowed her lips to turn back down into a frown. They stared at each other without breaking their gazes until Bill interrupted.

"Hey, Dr. Cuddy? Where do you want me to put this."

"It's up to him." She said, gesturing to House.

"Well?" Bill said, and House's eyes lit up when they laid upon what was in the stout man's arms. His key board. It was the second best thing to his piano that he was going to get in there.

"You can leave it there." He unfolded the stand, placed the keyboard on it, and walked out, leaving the two alone. "Why are you here?" His words very nearly pierced right through her, but she figured she deserved that pain. She didn't even wish him a Happy Birthday through a card or anything, like she was sure Wilson, Foreman, Taub, and all the other doctors he worked with and had liked him had. He was missed, and she had missed his 50th birthday. "Are you going to answer me?" Bitter. That place was making him bitter.

"I didn't come here to –"

"I asked why you did, not why you didn't."

"I wanted to see how you were doing. You're my best doctor and –"

"I'm not fired."

"No. You're not. I think it was obvious that you weren't in the right state of mind." Silence. "I brought your keyboard. It's not the piano, but I thought it would be nice –"

"You should've brought my guitar." He was being difficult.

"You know, although you were an ass. I've missed you."

"I've missed work."

Her throat was tightening.

"I tell you I've missed you, and you tell me you've missed work?"

"Were you expecting a lie?"

'Why are you even still here,' she asked herself. "I'm gonna go..." She stood from her chair and proceeded to walk to the door, allowing her fingers to gentle rub over the piano keys without making a noise.

"Ow, I did miss that ass though." Her head turned around slowly and she looked at him with watery eyes. "And work of course."

"I can't believe I fooled myself into thinking something else." And she hurried out the door, but what she didn't realize was the slight indication that House was sorry. His grin fell and so did his eyes. He regretted saying it, but it was too late. She was already hurrying down the corridor.

Her hand was at her face, her knuckles wiping her left eye. She felt the tears coming and she only wiped her eyeliner and mascara away when she wiped her eye. Then, she heard a voice. It was a voice she really did not want to hear.

"Cuddy?" Wilson said, sounding a bit surprised. However, she knew he was not surprised at all. She ignored him and kept walking. Someone was just getting out of the elevator and she hurried into it. She was alone. Wilson was walking quickly after her. Her finger continuously pressed the close button, hoping she and Wilson would be separated by the closing door.

Just as it was about to shut, Wilson stuck his arm in the way, and the door opened. Cuddy looked down, but Wilson saw her reddened eyes anyhow.

"What did he say?"

"It wasn't anything that I shouldn't have expected. He was a jerk."

"That's odd..."

"That's odd? In what way is that out of character?"

"No I mean, I don't see why he would be acting like a jerk after he was so serious ab –Oh." He finally understood. It all clicked in his brain. "I'll talk to him."

"Well, I'm not coming back." And after Cuddy hit the close button again, Wilson allowed the door to shut.

Wilson did not even have to knock. He walked straight into House's room and palmed House's head on the side.

"Maybe you're the one that should be here."

"What the hell's wrong with you? I thought you wanted to be with Cuddy? I just saw her walk out of here, nearly in tears."

"Did she look hurt?"

"Obviously... if she was about to cry –what the hell did you do?" House ignored his question.

"Well, good. Because I was just as hurt when she walked out on me."

"You didn't even know that happened."

"Yeah –well, I still found out didn't I? Looks like I couldn't rely on your cut throat bitch of a dead girlfriend to block everything out for me." Luckily, Wilson was well immune to House's insults. "She hurt me –and you told me that making her mad would work."

"Oh, give it a rest House. In my opinion it's payback for all the times you hurt her."

"Exactly, now I just hurt her again today."

"Can you stop being immature about this whole subject? You want Cuddy. You're an asshole. That's not always how it works. Bring her back here. Call her hotel."

"No. Besides I don't even know where she is staying."

"There's only one hotel here within five miles. Call her. Apologize. Be nice for a change."

"You stop obsessing over my relationship... or lack thereof with Cuddy."

"Stop being stubborn and call her."

"No."

"Then I don't know what to do. I'm getting lunch. Do you want anything?"

"All the food here tastes like shit."

"I'll take that as a no."

"A bag of Lay's."

**Okay, so... next chapter will contain much more.... House and Cuddy ease... but not too much ease between them. This is House.  
I hate saying when to expect new chapters, but I think within the next week. Knock on wood.  
-AK**


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